Improved railway-switch



IMPRovED RAILWAY-SWITCH.

l Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 73,071, dated J auuary 7, 1868.

To all whom Muay concern: Y y

Be it known that I, TRUMANG. BEECHER, of Beaver Dam, in the county of Schuyler and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Portable Railroad- Switches; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had tothe anneXed drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a plan. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a bottom view of a rail. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the end of the rails. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of one of the tie-braces. Fig. 6 is a bottom view of the tie. Fig. 7 is a plan of another mode of construction, applicable to a single track. Fig. Sis a bottom view of rail seen in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the same.

The same letters are employed in the several gures when indicating the same parts.

This invention relates to a portable switch, which, being carried upon the train, may be used, in case of an obstruction upon one of the tracks of a double-track railway, to switch atrain from its proper track onto the other track, and, when the train has passed the obstruction, to enable it to return to its own proper track.

In the annexed drawings, A is one of the tracksof a double-track railway, and B is the other. C, C', C, and C" are the switch-rails, which have the proper curvature and length to form a connection from one track to the other. 'lhese rails have projectingl from the bottom ofthe T two flanges', D and Dl, placed on opposite sides ofthe rail, and projecting downward, the space between them being sufficient to enable them to rest on each side of the upper part of the rail of the track. These flanges are not opposite to one another on the rail; but one of them commences oppo site the termination of the other, the outer one being on the end of the rail, and the space between them being so regulated that when the adjustable rail is laid across the bed-rail the head of the latter will pass between the anges, which being don-e, the rail may be turned to form a more acute angle with the track; and when thus brought into its proper place to form a switch, a horizontal ange vextending from the bottom of one of the vertical iianges will pass under the head of the T of the permanent track, and thus prevent the adjl'lstable rail from being displaced so long ,as it maintains this angle to the permanent track. Rails being thus arranged to form a switch from one permanent track to the other are constructed as shown in Figs. 5 and 6,

and are so arranged that, to place the tie on the head of the bed-rail, it must be turned at an acute angle to the rail, so that the head of the bed-rail will pass between the flanges, and then, by turning the tie nearly at right angles to the bed-rail, the horizontal projections on the anges will catch under the head and form a lock. Similar iianges on the top form grooves or recesses to receive the adjustable rails. One of these anges on each side is bent over to form a clamp to seize the bottom of the adjustable rail in one case, and the top ot' the bed-rail in the other. A space is left between the ange which extends over the bed-rail and said rail suicient to allow keys to be driven in to hold the tie in place when properly adjusted. A brace, D, ispivoted in the middle to the tie-brace, and so constructed that when the parts are properly placed it may be turned so that each end mayv bear against the inner side ofthe adjustable rail against the stem of the T, preventing lateral movement of the rail, and also forming one-half of a chair, the other half` being formed by a bent iiange on the tie. This brace swings under a catch, D", projecting from the upper face of the tie. The length of the ties must be made to correspond with the vposition they are to occupy on the bed-rail in relation to the adjustable rail. IThe ends of the adjustable rails are supported upon chairs E, which clamp the adjoining ends of both rails, resting upon the permanent rails or on blocks. The whole structure must be properly blocked up to sustain the train.

Iv have shown in Fig. 7 an arrangement adapted to making temporary connections with switches on single tracks. The bed-rails of these sidiugs are permanent, and connection is formed with them temporarily by using portable connecting-rails. The rails vconnect- NT Urraca.;

ing with the main tracks are constructed for the purpose of locking them on thebed-rails, upon the same principle as has been already described. The rails are so bent as to rise over the permanent rails, to which they are attached on the same plan that the ties are, and they are made shorter and connected by intermediate permanent pieces F, the joint being in this case formed by chairs, which clamp the ends of both rails.

From the foregoing description it Will be seen that the rails thus constructed may be readily applied to the main tracks to form a switch over which the train may pass from one track to another, or from the main track to a siding.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is l l. The rails ofa portable switch, constructed With anges for attaching them to the main track of a railroad, and locking them in posiv tion, substantially as set forth.

rail laterally and to form a chair to hold the.

rail down, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed y my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

TRUMAN G. B EEGI-IER. Witnesses: i

JOHN D. BLooR, F. H. SHRoGfER.V 

